Hosiery drying and shaping structure.



. v v I w. L.- RIECK. -HQSIERYDRYING AND SHAPING STRUCTURE."

APPLICATION FILED MAR. 30. I9l8.

. jammed Ju1 f16,1918.

l 2 SHEETS-SHEET I- cmrnn STATES PATENT ornrcn.

WILLIAM L. RIECK, OF KANKAKEE, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR 'IO PARAMOUNT HOSIERY FORM DRYING 00., OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, A CORPORATION OF ILLINOIS.

I-IOSIERY DRYING AND SHAPING STRUCTURE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented July 16, 1918.

Application filed Mar-ch 30, 1918. Serial No. 225,767.

To all whom z't may concern:

Be it known that I, WILLIAM L. RIECK, a citizen of the United States, residing at Kankakee, in the county of Kankakee and State of Illinois, .have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Hosiery Drying and Shaping Structures,of which the following is a specification, reference being had there-in to the accompanying drawing.

This invention relates to hosiery drying and shaping structures, and has particular reference to a device which is attachable to a hosiery form whereby the natural tendenc of the hosiery to creep and shrink thereon while drying is prevented, or practically so.

Hosiery, as it comes from the centrifugal or whizzer (as it is sometimes called), following its treatment in a dyeing, bleaching, or other bath, is quite wet so that it is necessary to dry it.

In addition, it is desirable to shape .itsimultaneously with the drying. When heat is applied to the fabric of the hosiery, the latter has a natural tendency to shrink and creep up on the form, which results in.a substantial shortening of-the goods. With manufacturers, this is a serious matter, since the trade requires standard lengths. Various means to prevent this undesirable action have been proposed, and some of these are more or less effective for the purpose. Still, for certain classes of goods ribbed and woolen hosiery, for examplethe proposed devices in some instances render the boarding step unnecessarily diflicult, or if unobjectionable on that score, the devices mark. or injure the fabric. Extensive and long-continued experiments and practical experience have demonstrated the fact that if pressure devices be applied to the creased edges of the goods before the fabric of the goods has had time to set,

that is, has become fixed, shrinkage is pre cluded and a production of uniform and predetermined length is made possible. Be-

of these requirements and one which is not only simple in construction but which is easlly applied and, when necessary, adjusted. It is likewise fool-proof, a factor which is important in the use of a device of this kind in: the hands of different types of labor now available.

With these objects in view and others of equal or lesser importance, my invention resides in thenovel construction and in the unique aggroupment of its parts, 'as hereinafter described and defined in the accompanying claims.

In order that the invention may be readily comprehended, I have illustrated one embodiment thereof in the accompanying drawings; it being here noted that, while this may at present be my preferred construction,nevertheless the invention is sus ceptible of considerable variation and modification without departure from its underlying principles and without sacrificing any of its inherent advantages.

- In these drawings:

Figure l is a view in perspective (somewhat fragmentary) of a set of drying and shaping forms with my invention applied thereto;

Fig. 2 is a view in edge-elevation of a form with my improved hosiery-engaging holder applied thereto;

Fig. 3 is a view in front elevation thereof;

Fig. l is an enlarged view, in vertical section, of the holding device in position, and in which some of the parts appear in dotted lines to show the different positions of the device;

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary View in elevation I of the holding device;

Fig. 6 is a view of the same in longitudinal section; and

Figs. 7 and 8 are views of modified forms of the structure. f

Referring now to the drawings, it will be 'noted that the reference-numeral 1 designates a hosiery-drying and shaping form ing instrun'ientalities.

of the general type disclosed in United States Patent No. 1,207,496, dated December 5, 1916. Itis to be understood, however,

that my fabric-holding device is also applicable to forms of other types.

This illustrated form'which is hollow to contain a heating -medium-includes sides 2 which converge, toward reduced, GI6LS8- forming edges 3, and a base l preferably integral with. the form itself. The form here shown by way of example is one which is well adapted to dry, shape, crease, and finish hosiery, and particularly ribbed goods which, by reason of the manner of the knitting, stretches quite readily and has a shrinking characteristic which it is desirable to restrain.

The means which I propose to utilize to prevent such creeping includes a pair of base or clip-members 5, one at each edge of the form. These members areconnected andheld on the form by bolts 6 or other-fasten- To causefthe holding device to be rigidly mounted on the form, the members 5where they are to be applied to forms having sharpened There maybe a plurality of these offsets if desired, as shown ,in Fig. 8.

These fingers are preferably made of spring-steel or similar metal so as to provide for any required degree of resiliency.

They are adapted to be normally mounted rigidly on the clip members; but the mounting is preferably such as to provide for a predetermined amount of angular adjustment: To this end, the clip members are provided with an approximately fiat-surfaced groove 11 in which. the lower end of the finger is adapted to seat. The latter isrigidly secured to the clip' member by means of screws 12 or other equivalent means. To

' provide for the angular adjustment aforementioned, an adj ustng screw 13, or the like,

is threaded into the clip-member. The head or end 14 of this screw may be disposed below the plane of the wall of the groove; or it may project above it,- in which event it will engage with and hold the finger more or less tilted, that is, at an angle to the vertical. When the finger is secured to its respective clip member, it covers the engageable end of the screw. This prevents tampering with it and thus makes the structure practically fool-proof, since once an ad justment is made it is undesirable that it should be changed except by a person .possessing the requisite skill. Change in the adjustment may be rendered necessary, sometimes, as when the pressure on the fabric has to be increased or diminished. Such adjustment also presents a convenient way of providing for goods of different weight.

.The disclosed means for mounting the device on the fornralso provides for its vertical adjustment thereon. This may be desirable at times, as where the length. of one batch of goods is difierent from that of the previous batch. Hence, it will be perceived that I provide for two adjustments of the fingers with respect to the hosiery; namely, the angular adjustment and the vertical adjustment.

I am aware of the fact that it has heretofore been proposed to employ spring members for holding hosiery from creeping on drying forms; but these have generally been designed to engage the sides of the form rather, than itsfedges. In some instances, the goods are marked or damaged -""when the fingers engage the broader surface of the goods. So far as I am aware, I am the first to provide for holding the goods at the creases. This is important and involves an inventive novelty: In the first place, when the goods are being boarded with my structure, the tendency of the boarder is to reduce rather than to widen the flare of the top of the hosiery as he pulls. it down onto the form. The position of the fabric-engaging fingers at the edges of the form tends to cause the operator to do this. In addition, as only a very narrow area of the fabric is presented to the holding fingers, such fabric is not appreciably marked.

In practice, it has been demonstrated that my device is very efficient and so much so that a considerable fabric is conserved by reason of the fact that the stocking, when once engaged by the holding fingers, is held against shrinkage until it is set by the drying heat. I

Moreover, the holding of the fabric in its stretched conditionas accomplished when the hose is boarded on the form-causes it to be given a perceptibly better finish. In

addition, each hosiery-article is of uniform length.

What I'claim is: V 1. An article of manufacture including a clip-member provided with a groove, and a fabric-engaging element disposed in the groove and ad ustable in respect to the surface of the groove.

2. An article of manufacture including a clip-member provided with a groove, a fabric-engaging element disposed in the groove and adjustablein respect to the surface of the groove, and an adjusting element threaded into the grooved section of the .by the engaging element,

pair of cli clip-member -and engageable by the engaging element. i

3. An article of manufacture including a cli'o-member provided with agroove, a fabric-engaging element disposed in the groove and'adjustable in respect to the S111. face of the groove, an adjusting element threaded into the grooved section of the clip-member and engageable by the engaging element, and screws extending through the engaging element and into the: clipmember. I a

4. An article of manufacture including a clip-member provided with a groove, a fabric-engaging element disposed in' the groove and'adjustable in respect to the surface of the groove, and an ad usting element threaded into the grooved section of the clip-member and engageable and covered 5. A fabric-holding device including a pair of clip-members, each provided with an approximately V- and with a groove on its opposite side, and a pair ofv fabric-engaging in the grooves and tiltab y mounted therein.

6.A fabric-holding device including a pair ofclip-members, each providedwi'th an approximately 'V-shaped slot on one side and with a grooveon its oppositeside, a pair of fabric-engaging elements disposed in the grooves and tiltably mounted therein, and an adjusting element engagea-ble and covered'by the engaging element.

7. A- fabric-holding" device including a members, each provided with a slot, securing elements for mounting the clip members on a hosiery-drying and shaping form in spaced-apart relation, and a pair of bowed fabric engageable elements tiltably mounted on one side of the clip members.

8. A fabric-holding device includinga pair of clip members, each provided with a slot, securing elements for mounting the clip members on a hosiery-drying and shaping form in spaced-apart relation, a pair of haped slot on one side.

elements disposed 1 Witnesses:

and means threaded into theclip membersand engaged by theinner faces of 'the'engageable members for adjusting them anglilarly in respect to the clip members.

9. A drying and shaping structure in: cluding a hosiery'form provided with-beweled sides and edges, a holding -device' adjustable vertireduced crease-forming cally thereon and'compr smga plurality of clip members provided with slots in which the edges of the form are seated, and

able with the edges. of the form.

10. A drying and shaping struc'ture'ineluding a hosiery form provided with, bevresilient fabric-engagingmembers engage-v eled sides and reduced -crease-formingv edges, a holding device adjustable ve'rtically thereon and comprising a plurality of clip members provided with .slots in which the edges of the form are seated, resilient fabric-engaging members engage'able with the edges of the form, and means for-angularly adjusting the engaging members in respect to such edges. f

11. A-hosi'ery-drying structure including a form having hosiery-shaping edges,and

-a fabric-holding device adjustable longitudinally of the form and comprismg fabricholding members extending longitudinally of the form and engageable with its edges.

12. A hosiery-drying structure including a form having hosiery-shaping edges, a fabric-holding device adjustable longitudi-' nally of the form and comprising fabricholding members extending longitudinally of, the form and engageable with its edges, and means for angularly adjusting the holding members in respect to the edges of the form. V

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

' WILLIAM L. RIECK.

. 'AUGUs'r W. HEGERMANN,

JOHN F. MoGAnnEY. 

